Archive for the ‘Our Community’ Category

I watched a business show earlier about Ferrari and then all day long it showed the long lines in Asia, Europe and the USA waiting for the new iPhone. It was such excess. It was quite disturbing to say the least. I had an iPhone and it was nice. It was a fun phone but my new carrier doesn’t have the iPhone yet. I am not missing it much. I like my phone. Though, I don’t use it much to be honest as I don’t really call anyone. I don’t chat on the telephone much. I don’t drive either. There are so many in the world who need so much. I am not begrudging anyone to have nice things – not at all. If you can afford it by all means have at it. But, to sleep in line for 5 days for an iPhone when your old iPhone is just as good?

The Kindle Fire has a new tablet. It does what the iPad does. I thought about it for a second and then had to double think that real quick. I don’t need one. I am fine with the Kindle Fire that I have. When I go out if I need to go on the internet I have my cell phone for that. I always download everything I need on my Kindle Fire before I leave. I suppose buying things makes one feel better. I know because I used to spend my paycheck buying things to make myself feel better. Since recovering from my knee surgery and making the decision to work for myself I haven’t been happier in my life and have found that I don’t have that urge to buy and spend money for that instant gratification I used to have. I can go out and buy that 60 inch television I have been dreaming about. But, to be honest I can watch my Mets lose on my 32 inch television just as much as I can on a 60 inch television. All the stupid video games I have didn’t make me feel better.

I’m happy with my MTA card. What makes me happy are my two silly boys. I’ve also made friends with someone. We were friends before but we had a chat about a week ago and when we chatted it was a really deep connection. I haven’t let anyone inside like that and I felt so safe. It’s not a dating thing – She didn’t want anything from me and I didn’t want anything from her except a friendship – one that feels safe and I didn’t have to be big tough David. I will take that over any Ferarri, iPhone or mansion any day.

I’m dealing with a lot of stuff right now – but, a lot of people are dealing with a lot of things in their life. I am not special, better or worse off than anyone else. But, I have learned that an iPhone and a Ferarri can’t fix anything and sometimes all it takes is a deep connection with another human being and sometimes a vanilla yogurt thrown in for good measure.

I am very relieved. I received the first third of my funding in the mail today. This is the beginning of my new career. I was so nervous putting the money in the bank. Not because I am afraid of spending it foolishly but because I’m making the leap to work for myself and not rely on a steady paycheck from an employer. I will have to rely on myself for money, pay for my own health insurance and retirement plan. (In my last job I had health insurance, job security even in this bad economy and I also had not only a 401 plan but a pension with supplemental health insurance for after retirement.) But, what is even more important to me is my foundation to help others. This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time. I have made small monthly donations but I want to do more. I want to help others like me pay for surgery and hormones. I want to help the young members of our MTF/FTM community have a safe place to be when their parents have kicked them out of the house.

I have confidence but at the same time it is mixed with caution and concern because if don’t do this right a few small trades could wipe me out. I’ve studied the market for many years and I have a good mind for business and world affairs as well as market psychology. Many people go into this expecting to become millionaires overnight. They are usually the ones who figure out they should have learned the market and finance BEFORE they started in the market. I’m not looking to become a millionaire. I have what I need. A nice little messy apartment, two goofy little boy cats and will be able to afford my surgery.

I am still waiting for two more funding checks to come in. Once that is in I will be able to begin my new venture full force. Right now I have a smaller amount which is good. I expect losses – everyone in the market has losses. Success in the market is to know how to cut our losses to a minimal. At the end of each year I will take 1/3 of my profits and put it into my fund for charity.

Now with this initial funding in I will be able to purchase my T on Monday and purchase my plane ticket to see my mother and father in Nevada.

I have a WC claim. I had three knee surgeries – one of them being a total knee replacement. I had walked out on my job as a claims adjuster as I had another small stroke at that job and it was literally killing me. I am also an investor in the stock market. Actually, I take that back. I am a day trader. I was going to take my WC settlement and day trade full time and with that money invest in the FTM/MTF community. I want to help with hormones, surgery and any other needs our community has. With that said my doctor wrote a report regarding my injury. My WC case worker sent me for an IME. (Independent Medical Exam) as they felt the injury report was too high for settlement.

I am in shock. Complete shock.
As a claims adjuster for 30 years I saw so many settlements that were incredibly unrealistic. I sent many people to IMEs. When I saw low IMEs for the injury as a fair adjuster I would compromise without argument as I always knew our doctors would low ball the injury while others would push for whatever the IME doctor said. At the end of the day I would have to look at myself in the mirror.
Yesterday afternoon I received in the mail the copy of the IME I had to go to. I didn’t want to open it as things just haven’t been going my way lately. WC and disability were denied me as they both argued that the other side owed me the money. People told me to get a lawyer and fight it. I didn’t have it in me to fight. I know I would have been able to get one of them to pay me. But, I just am tired of litigation so walked away. So, I opened the IME letter expecting that I was low balled and would have to work extra hard once this settled to make it working for myself. I have been very stressed about this but haven’t said anything on FB. I have been researching like mad so that I have a great game plan and don’t fail.

I opened the report and read it. I nearly fell to the floor! The IME doctor gave me MORE than a fair Scheduled Loss of Use percentage. I read it again. Then I read it again. I was and am still in shock. I was not low balled at all. I think part of it was professional courtesy because I was an adjuster for 30 years. But, the other part of it was that I didn’t have an attorney. I didn’t walk in there telling them that I was dying. I told them that I was exercising. I told them that I didn’t need to keep taking pain medication. I told them that I refused to be a cripple and feel sorry for myself. As an adjuster for 30 years I would always hear stories about how the claimants are crippled for the rest of their life and how horrible their life is. I have the same injury as some of them have so know they are liars. I still have pain with my knees but I exercise and have lost weight and am determined to live my life and not sit around feeling sorry for myself. I think the IME doctor respected that and thought it was refreshing and instead of low balling me because I wasn’t claiming I am totally disabled he rewarded me for my honesty.
I am beyond thrilled because when I make my investments my plans were to put 1/3 to my charity. I thought I would have to work a full year maybe two before I had funding to be able to do that. When I make my trades the disbursements will be 1/3 for taxes, 1/3 for me and 1/3 for charity. I am not investing to become rich. I don’t have a lot of financial needs. I live simple. With this positive IME report as long as I can keep my losses to a minimum will be able to get my foundation up and running in the first year.
I am excited beyond belief. Now I can formally register my foundation. After watching the DNC last night it only strengthened my resolve to be a part of something greater than myself. I have a charity foundation called, The David Gomez Foundation. This is geared more towards the MFT and FTM community. So many of us need our hormones, surgery and other care yet it’s not out there for us. While I am not a millionaire; if I can help in some small way I will do my best to help all I can. Now I have to learn how to set this up properly. I have the website DavidGomezFoundation.com and also a FB page but with everything that has been going on I haven’t really done anything with them other than set up the sites. After things settle down a little bit I will write my mission statement to make sure I keep focused. This fund will be totally funded by me and my investments. I am not looking for outside donations.
I have been so horribly depressed for the past 6 weeks. Now I really feel as if I have something to live for. Nothing else really matters to me right now than putting together this foundation. I can do this and I can thank a conservative IME doctor from an insurance company. Who knew?